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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — a tin
  3. object — a thing
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. object — to protest
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. can — to be able to
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. last — finally
  10. last — to go on
  11. last — final
  12. perch — the fish
  13. lie — to recline
  14. object — an aim
  15. prune — to trim
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. rule — a law
  21. prune — to trim
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rule — government

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com